


another six clichés that never were

by nausicaa_of_phaeacia



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: (I'm convinced the kitchen at The Playground must be a cool place), Asgardian Magic, Body Swap, Bonding, Captain America Trading Cards, Christmas, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dancing, Drinking, Eventual Romance, F/M, GH-325, Gen, Hospitals, Hot Chocolate, I never liked Fury, Memory Loss, Party, Post Season 01, Pretty Woman References, Rain, S.H.I.E.L.D. Christmas Party, Shipscuses, Skye and her Huge Crush on Coulson, Spy work, Stark Tower, Tahiti is a Magical Place, Temporary Amnesia, The Playground, Tropes, Undercover as a Couple, cliches, just fooling around, not necessarily in chronological order, punch - freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 00:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1961367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa_of_phaeacia/pseuds/nausicaa_of_phaeacia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six clichéd situations, Coulson and Skye. Inspired by zauberer_sirin's work.<br/>I was just being silly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. [/undercover couple]

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zauberer_sirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauberer_sirin/gifts).
  * Inspired by [six cliches that never were](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1538492) by [zauberer_sirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauberer_sirin/pseuds/zauberer_sirin). 



> Thanks to zauberer_sirin for the wonderful inspiration! I can't do your incredible writing justice but I had some ideas I wanted to add.

It was Hill's idea. Stuff like this is always Hill's idea. Skye doesn't even know what the worst part about this is: Koenig's enthusiasm and his love of details (he's given her a stupid fake diamond necklace which she's supposed to have gotten on the day of their engagement or something, and told her to always have one strand of hair caress her cheeks because apparently, that's what Coulson is supposed to like), or Romanov bawling her stupid ocean-deep eyes out in nonstop laughter at the sight of Coulson in something else than a suit (namely, some sinfully expensive brand shirt and linen pants). 

Simmons, the sweetheart, keeps trying to cheer her up, not really being helpful.  
"Hill's made reservations for you, you'll be at the most beautiful, most central table."  
"You'll order _escargots_. They're not that easy to handle with a fork, but you'll see, once you've gotten used to the, er, special flavour, you'll love them."  
Fitz isn't helpful either.  
"You've seen Pretty Woman, right? So you know which fork to start with. Not trying to imply anything else here though, you _know_ that, Skye, right?"  
She prays to God that Stark never gets to know about any of this.

Particularly because of the dress. Because the dress is, the way May puts it, "not ordinary". Koenig picked it. Of course. Skye feels a bit like a puppet on a string. A very attractive, kind of _femme fatale_ puppet though. So, _why the hell not_ , let's do this. 

So they're actually dining at the Hilton. Skye doesn't actually know if that's more of a hipster or more of an oldie thing to do, but the place sure looks fancy and in spite of everything, she's glad she's wearing the dress. And the fake engagement diamond. May's pretending to be a waitress (Simmons kind of chickened out, and Skye knows already what the post-mission discussion about her replacement is going to sound like), and Coulson is wearing the same glasses he did when pretending to be Simmons' father, so the team have four live-recording eyes on the situation. Koenig must be watching the dress with popcorn at his side, Skye grins. 

It's all very awkward, and Skye's still feeling a little uneasy, especially with regard to the goddamn French snails, and trying very hard not to pull a Vivian Ward while at it. Also, she doesn't know what to make of Coulson's video camera glasses. And she's trying really hard not to get annoyed by this whole mission. So far, this guy they're supposed to observe, some Brinkman, hasn't even shown up yet. It must show on her face, because Coulson says, "Skye, relax. I don't know how to eat these either. Brinkman's always a bit late for his dinner reservations. Let's just enjoy the night out, okay?" And he's smiling, and Skye tries very hard to relax, until she doesn't have to try anymore, and she smiles back. "Got it, A.C." 

From then on, stuff gets better. The dessert is actually heaven, even though Coulson obviously just doesn't know how to appreciate chocolate overload. It's probably a girl thing (Skye's pretty sure she heard a frustrated Simmons sigh over the comms). Brinkman does show up, but he spends like ten minutes with May in Hilton uniform and his date, trying to decide on the champagne. As soon as May's going to the bar to delegate their order, they don't have any audio of them, and the romantic banter they seem to be exchanging looks a bit too cheerful - scripted, probably. 

"Let's dance."  
Skye almost chokes on her own champagne. "What? Why? I mean .. _me_?"  
Coulson looks very smug. "Yes. We have to get some audio on them."  
"Oh .. Of course." She stands. "But don't say I didn't warn you, my skills are pretty much --"  
He's swinging her around and suddenly, her hands are exactly where they're supposed to be and her feet are mirroring Coulson's and she's swirling in all kinds of controlled directions and it's kind of amazing, also: the dress.  
"-- _zero_ , I was going to say," Skye smiles, as soon as she gets an opportunity.  
"Guysguysguysguys. We need some audio, okay? _Au-di-o_. Thank you." That's Jemma. Coulson grins and Skye senses some more wild but calculated swirling. In less than five seconds, they're next to the table in question, mingling with the other people on the floor. This really is a fancy place, everyone knows how to dance, _except me_ , Skye thinks.  
"Don't worry, I got this," Coulson half-whispers, twirling her around more.  
"Loud and clear, good job, guys." Fitz. Okay. Now all they have to do is kind of stay in position. Brinkman and his date are scheduling some kind of meeting. Weapons, bad guy stuff, but nothing they couldn't handle. Boring. Dancing is kind of fun though, and it feels all natural and logical and strangely normal with Coulson. She figures it's just that he really knows what he's doing.

It only gets weird again when the dance numbers slow down, one after the other, and the lights get dimmed. Brinkman is still discussing, and Skye's heels kind of hurt, but it's okay, because she's starting to enjoy the evening. Coulson is a very smooth dancer, and it's not so bad to half-hug him. She can even imagine taking dance lessons if that's what undercover stuff is going to be like in the future. Who knows. Maybe the new S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to be different.

When they finally get the OK signal from May to leave, job all done (May and Trip are going to tail Brinkman's date and bust their associates), Coulson looks almost disappointed, and Skye knows what he means, because the fact that his warmth is suddenly gone is pretty awkward. They are stepping outside and into a fancy limousine (keeping up their aliases), and there is that melancholy feeling you get after a kind-of-not-so-good date.  
"It's a shame." Skye's the first to break the silence.  
There is an almost-grin on Coulson's face and Skye's just glad that _she_ 's not wearing video glasses. "What is?"  
She's pretty sure he knows, but she says it anyway. The team's listening, but to _hell_ with that. There's nothing compromising to saying, "That this is over. The evening. Dancing and stuff." She smiles cautiously, but he's smiling back. 

He's gesturing for her to throw out the microphone. She figures it's okay, and can't help a grin when Coulson throws the two buttons out the limousine window. "Guys? _Guys_ , we've lost audio. Please come. Coulson. _Skye_." Coulson's almost grinning and Skye loves him for it.  
"Would you like some more?", he asks. Sure, he's looking all A.C. and all smug, but there's something else, too, so there's something very warm in her voice when she smiles, "Yeah."  
"I _can_ lip-read, Jemma, for _frick's_ sake, but I don't see _Coulson_." Skye's gesturing, and Coulson's glasses follow the buttons. The earpieces are next, because what's worse than listening to two scientists argue. They are pretty much shaking with laughter, and Skye's still _giggling_ when Coulson's letting down the partition to tell the driver to turn around, a twinkle in his eye.


	2. [/solitary late-night drinking]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye kind of gives Coulson a pep talk.

The night after they've moved to the Playground, she finds him in the kitchen, just as she's tiptoeing there to get a glass of warm milk (she's never been good at falling asleep in new places). He's sitting at the table, no suit jacket, no tie, in fact: in pyjama pants and a sweater. She knows she's trying to be stealthy, but the fact that he doesn't turn around as she enters the room worries her. She tiptoes around him to see if he's alright when she discovers the bottle of scotch and a half-empty tumbler in front of him. 

"You alright, A.C.?", she asks, her voice a little too cheerful. Not wanting to embarrass him (because hey, what do you do when you find your _boss_ drunk in the kitchen at three a.m.?), she turns her back on him to pour herself a glass of milk.  
He turns around a bit at her question. "Skye. Well, I -", he gestures with his hand, "I've been better. Thanks for asking." Okay, he's not as drunk as she'd guessed, but still, this is _Coulson_ , trying to keep it together. He looks really grim and just plain sad. She grabs her glass and sits down on the red collapsible chair facing him.  
"Tell me about it."

He looks up again, and she sees that he's about to say it, but then he reconsiders and takes a sip first. His voice doesn't sound like him at all.  
"Don't think I'm up for this."  
She doesn't understand right away.  
"Well, boss ... None of us actually is. I mean ... we're just a bunch of good guys trying to keep this going."  
"No, I mean -", he gestures around, " _this_."  
"Oh." She takes a sip of milk, and _damnit_ , she forgot to heat it, but to _hell_ with it, cold milk with the boss it is now. She looks at him, half-apologetically, half-expectantly.  
"Don't understand why I'm supposed to be the right one for the job. He should have asked May. Or Maria. Or the Captain. Or, _damnit_ , I don't know, but not me. Who makes a half-alien Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" He takes a sip. "Nick must be out of his mind. Also, after all I've done." He tops himself off again.

"Can I say something?"  
She almost expects him to grunt, but then she remembers it's freaking _Coulson_ whose manners are impeccable even when half-drunk. He nods and there's a crooked smile.  
"I don't think he could have made a better choice."  
At that, he looks her in the eye, a startled expression on his face.  
"Why? You don't even know about half of the things I've -"  
"Hear me out, okay? First, you're the guy with the most integrity and reason and skills out there. You have experience beyond measure. And I'm half-alien, too, and I don't see any disadvantages to it. And you've been there since Fury, so you've seen at length what S.H.I.E.L.D. is _not_ supposed to be like. And you've been dead and you're alive and you've survived more torture and hardships than anyone else."  
He wants to interrupt, but the breath she takes is too short for that.

"And I mean, come on. You're A.C. I know Fury's an asshole to have left you with all the responsibility after watching everything go to hell, I mean you know, he could have done something instead of freaking _hiding out_ somewhere just to show up last-minute to be the hero in the black wavy coat, a coward, that's what he is, but this responsibility is a chance."  
She's running out of things to say, or rather, she isn't fast enough at putting them into words, because to be honest, a hug is what Coulson needs right now, and sure as hell there's nobody to give him one, because hey, you don't just hug _Phil Coulson_. 

He finishes his glass. There's a moment of silence.  
"Not sure I've ever actually been one of the good guys."  
She almost snorts at that, but it's the boss. Granted, he's in his pyjama pants, but still.  
"Don't talk nonsense, A.C. I can give you a list of all the good stuff you've done. Come on, we've been on so many missions. We got rid of HYDRA. You've always been the first to know and the first to make the move. The team knows you're the best agent there is. You don't just close cases, you do what's right." He doesn't reply.  
"Kind of like Cap."  
He flat-out _chuckles_ at that, and Skye feels accomplished. She doesn't think anyone has actually ever heard Coulson chuckle.

He's about to top himself off again, but Skye's quicker, screwing the top onto the bottle. "I think we both need some sleep, after all this," she gestures, and he knows she means the past few months, more or less.  
"Right." He eyes his tumbler, but moves to stand up. There's still that grim expression on his face. He rises, swaying quite a bit, but steady enough to walk to bed. She follows him, barefoot. They stop in front of his bunk and there's just a hint of inappropriateness to it, even though Skye knows neither of them would ever do anything that's on the other side of those unspoken, but unmistakeably clear boundaries.  
"Good night, then," he murmurs, facing her, leaning slightly against the wall.  
"Good night, Coulson," she says, and before he can move to enter his bunk, after a moment of consideration, she hugs him. He smells of Scotch quite a bit and it's weird because he doesn't hug her back, but just as she starts moving away, he puts one arm across her, just for a moment. After a beat, she moves away - she's hugged _Coulson_ , after all. 

He gives her a crooked smile. "Good night, again," he says, and it sounds a lot more like him again. She smiles back, suddenly shy, and tiptoes away. She hears the lock of his door as she opens hers. Climbing into bed (it's really uncomfortable, so white, so sterile), she wonders if he's going to remember any of it. Or mention it.  
The next evening, there's a knock at her door, but when she opens, there's nobody there. Just as she's about to step outside to look around the corner, she notices the small tray on the floor, nothing on it except for a glass of warm milk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! :)  
> Tell me what you think!


	3. [/masquerade]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a costume party at the Stark Tower.

She doesn't even know why she's going. Simmons has been trying to talk her into it for _weeks_. Skye doesn't see the fun in going to the Stark Tower fully costumed and with a stupid Venetian mask on her face. Where's the fun in not seeing who you're talking to and potentially dancing with? Also, it's a _Stark_ party and even though Tony definitely knows how to throw a _fiesta_ , she doesn't really know if that's really the kind of late-night entertainment she wants to be involved in. Jemma's been begging her though, so she's putting on the period dress Simmons has basically blackmailed her into buying. It's actually gorgeous but also very revealing, and talk about comfort in a freaking _corset_. She wonders how one was supposed to even just survive in such a thing for more than twenty minutes. Whatever. _For Jemma_ , she sighs theatrically in front of the mirror but has to giggle at herself. 

The mask is actually annoying the heck out of her. Granted, it only goes down to her upper lip, but the damn thing is still covering half of her face and Skye doesn't like not looking like herself even one tiny bit. It does have advantages though: one is suddenly free to make disparaging remarks about Tony Stark who always behaves like a dick and Romanov who is always the best at everything and more cryptic than a freaking _sphinx_. It's actually pretty fun, and Skye winds up talking to a very nice guy who must be Banner (who else would be displaying such charming and polite manners at a Stark party?) while Jemma walks out on her to giggle drunkenly in the arms of a guy who is obviously Trip (he's only wearing a Zorro mask). 

It could be worse, and Skye is almost starting to enjoy herself when maybe-Bruce is forced to join a bunch of people at a poker game. He makes the most polite excuses and Skye isn't angry, but what is she supposed to do now? Leaving is out of the question - Simmons expects her to wait for her signal to either escort her home or come and collect her in the morning to help her avoid a walk of shame. She just prays Tony Stark doesn't accidentally discover her, because _God help her_ , even though the guy can be nice, he usually clings to his prey like a limpet. 

The music's also pretty loud and Skye's about to consider walking over to Simmons and tell her she's leaving anyway when a good-looking guy (well, as far as you can tell with the mask and hat) walks up to her and politely invites her to a drink. For a moment, she thinks she recognizes his voice, but then again with all the music, you can't tell. Skye knows it's nothing serious, but the conversation is actually very nice and a bunch of times, she catches herself almost flirting. She knows she could probably turn it into a one-night stand, but the guy doesn't seem like the type for it, and to be honest, she knows very well that she isn't the type for it herself. It's getting too late pretty quickly and at dusk, they're leaving (Jemma has magically _disappeared_ and Trip can't be found anywhere, either). They both know they won't go anywhere together, so the atmosphere gets almost melancholy when they say goodbye. Skye knows it's sentimental, but before she gets into the cab he hails for her, she takes one of the flower pins out of her hairdo and pushes it through the first buttonhole of his shirt. He takes a small bow, and they laugh. She considers waving from the back seat but then decides it's too childish. 

The minute she enters the hotel room she booked for the night (Simmons' is next to hers), she knows she won't be able to sleep even for a minute. The first thing to get thrown across the bed is the mask, next comes the corset part. Great, what does a girl do in a full slip with freaking _crinolines_? Thank God she brought her pyjamas. She changes quickly but she's far too wired and maybe also very slightly buzzed to go to bed. Her laptop's still at the Playground, so since she hasn't brought anything else with her, it's her next destination. A quick checkup in the mirror tells her that a period hairdo with around two hundred pins, red lipstick and dotted pyjamas don't go all too well together, but right now, she couldn't care less. The only thing that's going to make her relax is hacking something like the CIA databases. Pyjamas and heels it is; the dress she'll pick up later. 

Koenig flat-out _whistles_ at her as she opens the elevator with her magnet card and an eye scan, but she feels herself relax immediately as she enters the subterranean floor of the Playground. Laptop, mug of cocoa, kitchen table.  
With the perpetual soft noise of her fingers on the keyboard, she doesn't hear Coulson enter. It's just when he turns on the light that she abruptly whirls around on her chair. He's in freeze, a kind of lost expression on his face, and maybe something like surprise? Suddenly, she feels very self-conscious about her lipstick and pyjamas, and _damn you Jemma_ for the freaking hairdo (right now, Skye's sure it must look something like a _hornet's_ nest) - but just as she's about to stand up and make excuses, she realizes why he's staring at her: He's standing there in sweat pants, the sleeves of his obviously ironed white shirt rolled up, and in the first buttonhole, _there's her hairpin_. She can't think of anything to say, but suddenly, he's _beaming_ at her. Cautiously, she smiles back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me! ;) Tell me what you think!


	4. [/body swap]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Asgardian potion.

It's pretty bad because it happens during the S.H.I.E.L.D. Christmas party, and in the presence of Tony Stark (the host, naturally), who can't stop laughing about it. The culprit is a magnetically attractive woman and Skye immediately thinks she must be related to Lorelei, but then again, she's probably just another Asgardian wizard. 

The motive doesn't become clear until much later - after Skye and Coulson have been put into quarantine, just to be safe, and the Asgardian girl knocked out from behind by May. They're behind glass, discussing the body-swap process from inside with mostly Banner, but FitzSimmons, too, are providing analyses and Romanov, in a gorgeous dark-green gown, is fighting off Stark who keeps trying to get into the laboratory. Poor Fitz keeps addressing Coulson as Skye, and Simmons is noticeably uncomfortable, testing their DNAs as if it were for a scholarship competition. To be honest, Bruce Banner in his inviolable calmness is the only helpful one around. Stark keeps yelling outside that he knows from experiences he made in Iceland that the effect is going to wear off, Natasha adding dryly that she's sure he's talking about some kind of acid trip. 

Finally, after hours and hours of analysing and May interrogating the Asgardian (who's been restrained with help of Dr Foster), Banner dares to draw the conclusion that they're both unharmed, that the swap is going to reverse itself after a few hours - because it was induced by a small amount of a potion which, apparently, switches appearances with the person standing nearest to you. While the actual process gets everyone's knickers in a twist - except for Bruce, apparently -, it explains the motive: Hill and Koenig should have been the ones to serve the S.H.I.E.L.D. Christmas punch and traditionally have been the first two guests to taste it. That would have put Maria in Koenig's body and therefore an easily kidnappable target. Since Maria Hill has declined the invitation to the Stark Tower, though, Koenig has insisted that Skye do it, "charming smile and all". Skye, though, has refused unless she were to do it with Coulson. Tony keeps yelling he _knewitknewitknewit_ and to everyone's surprise, Natasha follows Skye's enervated request to "just goddamn _sock him one already_ , will you".

After this strange explanation and the conclusion that there's nothing to be done but wait and stay calm, Coulson asks everybody to leave, and it's in a voice that suggests it's better not to present _any_ contradictory comments. It's a relief that they're not actually inside each other's bodies, that it's only their molecules that have adapted their neighbour's looks, and much to Coulson's dismay, he puts it into words without thinking too much about it - "You can't imagine how glad I am that I'm not, in fact, inside you at all" - and it makes Skye crack up for more than five minutes. It's the glass room they're in, it makes everything weird and surreal, but thank God, Coulson joins in and that kicks off quite a bit of anecdotes about unfortunate statements. 

Hours pass and they've gone from viola jokes to childhood stories, until they end up answering questions as the other one. Coulson makes a few good guesses considering Skye's taste in music and dream destinations, and Skye surprises Coulson by delivering a comparatively authentic little speech about how all present governments lack the idea of solidarity. Shortly after, the effects wear off, and it's weird because Skye, who's drunk less punch than Coulson, changes back first, which kind of makes two of her for a few minutes. The change happens as abruptly as it did in the first place: no previous symptoms, no advance notice of any sort. Suddenly, they look like themselves again. 

"It sure is so much better to see _you_ again than stare at myself for hours," Skye sighs as she stretches her legs. Coulson smiles a little awkwardly. "Thank you. _You_ , too." Moments later, Banner returns to unlock the door, and finds them weirdly shy (or just silent?). He tells them that there's a 95% chance the effects were over and should there be a relapse, it's only going to be temporary and short. They are ordered to go and rest in bed for a few hours, and they shuffle over to Stark's luxurious guest rooms.

Later, she knocks at his door. He seems surprised to see her.   
"Hey," she starts shyly. "Just wanted to see if you were doing okay, or if I was going to have to face _myself_ permanently for a while." There's his lopsided grin."Thank you. Afraid it's yours truly."  
"Wouldn't have it any other way", she grins. "Going home now, I've _definitely_ had my fair share of this party." Eye-rolling.   
"Take care," he says, and for once, there's nothing smug or superior-like about it. She raises her hand for a moment, then turns around to walk down the corridor as he closes the door.

Just a few seconds later, she hears it open again and stops to turn around as he calls her name. She's about to ask when he says, "Can I see _you_ some more?" She's far beyond surprised, he can tell. "You mean - _now_? I - "  
"Maybe tomorrow evening? For dinner?" He's trying to make it sound nonchalant, but if she's being honest, it sounds important. She feels very childish for not knowing what to say, but she's nodding very enthusiastically, and it makes him smile widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks a lot for reading! :)


	5. [/amnesia]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson's at the hospital.

Simmons has told her probably two-thousand times what happened exactly, which lobe the bullet pierced or grazed or something and how human memory works, but Skye still can't figure out _why_. It just seems so unfair - one year into her field experience, during his first mission as Director, saving a bunch of abducted school kids (it's a long story), _he_ is the first and only one to get seriously wounded, while he was actually something like the cool silent hero of the operation (the way he always is). 

Skye spends the first two weeks at his bedside, pretty much nonstop. Romanov pops in every few hours to make sure nobody tries to steal the comatose Director (while Skye knows that she's actually making sure nobody steals a comatose _Phil_ , and not allowing him to die _again_ ). The only other person who's allowed _inside_ (bless Natasha's right hook) is Simmons - well, Simmons being the attending physician. It's the new Jemma - the Jemma who cut her hair to a bit less than chin-length after two months of Fitz not waking up, the Jemma who doesn't seem to wear anything but white lab coats anymore, the Jemma who spends day and night testing DNA for brain research purposes, the Jemma who you'll never see around without at least two or three vials of _something_ or her black-rimmed glasses anymore. The Jemma who is protecting Skye right now like a lioness would her cub.

She tells her that should he wake up (which he does, about a month in), there will be memory loss, and while it might be temporary, it might also _not_ , and while he _may_ remember a thing or a person or two, it's also entirely possible that he doesn't. Which is more like it during the first few days, and Skye almost stops eating altogether because she simply _forgets_ with all the patient and sad explaining and the sitting without talking, and especially the not sleeping and the crying while he does.

About a week later, May pops in for the first time since she helped Coulson wheel around hospital floors during the first-aid rush. A vulnerable, exhausted, early-morning Skye with her hair all over the place is about to tell her to leave immediately, but decides not to as soon as she sees May's face (and it's clear why Natasha wouldn't fight her off). For about three seconds, there's May's left hand on Skye's right shoulder, and then they just sit next to Coulson's bed. When he wakes up that day and looks around, confused, having forgotten more than half of what Skye explained to him the day before, he seems to recognize May. She goes to sit on his bed and the only thing she says is that she's looking after Lola, but it's making him _smile_ a bit and there has never been a moment in which Skye hated May more.

He doesn't talk except for the most fundamental things, like asking for water, like asking for a doctor, like asking for the window to be shut. He doesn't ignore Skye but she knows he doesn't _really_ know who she is - he doesn't know more than what she told him, and even May seems to have been a fleeting memory. Next time Romanov creeps in during the night, she almost gasps at how thin Skye has gotten. She doesn't tell her; she tells Jemma, who talks her into eating at least one slice of bread every morning, like you do a sick child. 

Natasha is surprised that Skye doesn't break down at all; it's a respect thing between colleagues, recognition between people of the same trade. One morning (and Skye remembers thinking Romanov must have gone _bonkers_ ), Natasha shows up with a bunch of Coulson's Captain America cards, blood-stained and crumpled as they have been since New York. He smiles when Skye puts them in his lap. 

It's not until accidentally, he wakes up during the night and sees Skye change T-shirts, that she hears him say a full sentence. She didn't expect an audience, so it's facing him in the semi-darkness. She's halfway out of the Minnie Mouse T-shirt, when she hears him say, "Wait."  
She's so baffled that she forgets to pull it either up or down and just goes to sit at his bedside, her stomach bare. His expression is so sinister that she doesn't dare to speak.  
"I've seen that before."  
It takes her a few seconds to understand; it's her scars.  
Her voice is rusty, unused. "You have them, too." He looks shocked. She pulls away his blanket and lifts the hospital pyjama top, and there it is: the collection of scars on his stomach he got from Loki, the scars his resurrection left. Suddenly, his expression changes, and while he looks equally shocked as he did before, there's _something else_ in his eyes.   
It's not much but it tells her things are going to change from now on.   
"Skye," he croaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me :) !


	6. [/rain]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-explanatory.

It happens during surveillance. Coulson and Trip are watching the complex from the SUV and Skye is hacking into the corporate network from the shabby diner in the building next to it. From what she hears over the comms, they are having a very good time. It's possible that they aren't aware that she's listening in, but anyways, their cheerful chattering about vintage spy equipment keeps her in the mood for the zeros-and-ones work. And focused. 

She's almost in, and Coulson tells her over the comms that they are in the process of recording an important surveillance video of the office in question (and almost finished), when it starts raining out of nowhere. Well, and raining is actually really the wrong word for it. It's more like the water _The Ark_ was floating on - she can barely see out of the window. Her job is finished, and she's supposed to meet them in the SUV, but holy _frick_ , it looks like she'd be in need of a motor boat to get across the street. 

Trip tells her to at least wait for the majority of it to be over, but after around twenty minutes, the _majority_ seems to still be an ongoing thing, and Skye loses patience. Also, they are supposed to have left her a jelly donut, and if you know Skye, that's of great significance. They hear her pay and tip the waitress, and shortly thereafter, hear her holler - some kind of squeal - and see her run across the street, almost as if in slow motion. It's a surreal sight, with all the water rushing down the street at a great speed. "Whoa. Like watching an Olympic swimmer," Trip says, but before he's even finished, Coulson has jumped out of the SUV with a large S.H.I.E.L.D. umbrella (which is almost, _almost_ of no use) and started running towards her. When they finally get back in, they bring like half the flood with them. 

Five minutes after they've stopped towelling their face and hair (because that's pretty much all you can do without changing your clothes), Trip breaks the slightly awkward silence with a casual, "So, Coulson, could you drop me off at my sister's? It's the kid's birthday and I don't really wanna _wade_ through the _North American Canal_ and show up as Uncle Fisher King." A still very wet Coulson grins. "Sure. Don't wanna sabotage the luck you've had concerning humidity so far." "Yeah," Skye chimes in, "two thirds of a team soaked to the bones is definitely _enough_." That cracks Trip up, and Skye remembers why she appreciates him being around so much.

After Trip gets out (he's lucky they've half-parked under the canopy), Coulson encourages Skye to switch from the back to the front passenger seat, because "two seats take exactly as long to dry as do three", and she's hugely surprised when, as she points out that opening the door to do so would mean a Second Flood, he tells her to just climb over the center console.

"I really envy Trip," she fake-sulks. "I know it's his day off, but I'd love to just take a hot shower instead of going back to the base and contribute to the report. And I want to hide under a huge blanket. And by _huge_ I mean Mother Hulda size categories."  
She could swear she just heard him snort, but in any case, she can hear him smile. "You only say that because you haven't tasted my hot chocolate yet. Nothing is going to warm you up quite like it."  
"Alright, you got me. Hot chocolate made by A. C. sounds like a privilege." There's a twinkle in her eyes and it's clear that this is just your average banter situation, but he could swear there was a weird sort of sincerity coming from her, too.

So, after a lot of hot water from the Playground showers, they meet in the kitchen. Coulson's there first, of course, Skye having to dry her hair quite a bit and all, and when she arrives, he sets a huge steaming mug in front of her. It's hard to tell with Coulson, but she's pretty sure that, A.C. smugness aside, there's also a quite a hint of comraderie in the air. "Thank you," she beams at him, because why _wouldn't_ you beam at someone who'd just presented you with a gorgeous mug of freshly made hot chocolate.  
"Wait," he stops her before she can actually taste it, "we should make a toast." She grins, rising her chocolate. After a moment of consideration, they accidentally both happen to say, " _To Noah_ ", and the smile on his face is priceless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the whole thing! It was fun to fool around with these two - hope you liked it!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it! I don't own anything but what I made up. Sorry for the perpetual un-beta'd-ness. Tell me what you think! :)


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